CHICAGOTom Thibodeau won't be the only familiar face to the Celtics when they face the Bulls tonight. The C's will also see former Celtic guard Nate Robinson (2009-2011) as well.
In fact, there's a very good chance that Robinson will be in the starting lineup tonight. He would be filling in for Kirk Hinrich, who suffered a hip strain against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
According to Thibodeau, Hinrich is doubtful to play after spending Sunday's shoot-around getting treatments for his hip injury.
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Being the fill-in guy is nothing new to Robinson who is in his first season with the Bulls. He did so against the Timberwolves, scoring a team-high 18 points in leading them to an 87-80 win. During the preseason, he tallied 23 points on a night when Chicago had to play without Hinrich.
Even when he has come off the bench this season, Robinson has played well. He's averaging 11.5 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Seeing Robinson become a solid contributor is not a surprise to Doc Rivers. Robinson's talent has never been an issue. His maturity, however, is another story.
"He's growing up," Rivers said. "He's more of a professional. I thought he started doing it last year."
Robinson played with the Golden State Warriors last season, and put up comparable numbers -- 11.2 points, 4.5 assists per game -- to those he is currently averaging with Chicago.
And while Robinson and Rivers certainly had their occasional differences, that has never affected the way Rivers has viewed Robinson as a player.
"I'm a fan of Nate's talent," Rivers said.